Jamarillo hopes to catch on with Pirates

PITTSBURGH — Ready or not, Jason Jaramillo will be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ regular catcher until Ryan Doumit can recover from a broken bone in his wrist.

Jaramillo beat out Robinzon Diaz for the back-up catcher’s job in spring training — Diaz was called up to the active roster Tuesday — and didn’t figure to see much playing time after Doumit had a breakout season in 2008. Until making the Pirates out of spring training, Jaramillo had no major-league experience.

He figures to get plenty of it over the next two months.

“I feel pretty good right now,” said Jaramillo before the Pirates beat the Florida Marlins 7-4 at PNC Park Wednesday to finish off a three-game sweep. “I spent a lot of time catching them (pitching staff) in spring training and got a lot of playing time.

“So I feel pretty confident and comfortable back there.”

“I think it’s just a matter of him getting comfortable with everybody and us just telling him what we like and him giving us feedback and going from there,” said pitcher Jeff Karstens, who also played with Jaramillo in the 2007 baseball World Cup.

Jaramillo made his first major-league start a week ago in a 6-3 loss to Houston and went 1 for 3 while allowing two runners to steal. He allowed two more steals Wednesday.

The stolen bases are tough for Jaramillo to swallow since he is known primarily as a defensive catcher.

“I take pride in my defense. I really take pride in throwing guys out and handling the (pitching) staff,” he said.

But Jaramillo has shown flashes that he can be an adequate replacement for Doumit. He was behind the plate for Ross Ohlendorf’s masterpiece in an 8-0 win over the Marlins on Monday. He caught Florida’s Hanley Ramirez stealing with a perfect throw to second and went 2 for 4 with a run at the plate.

Tuesday, he had his first big-league RBI in a 3-2 win over Florida. He also had two key meetings on the mound with reliever John Grabow as the two worked out of an eighth-inning jam with the Pirates nursing a one-run lead.

“He’ll come out to you in crucial situations like he did (Tuesday) night …,” Karstens said. “Rather than just throw down fingers and not have a good rhythm, go ask the pitcher what he wants to throw and go from there.

“You want what the pitcher feels comfortable with.”

Offensively, Jaramillo said he is a work in progress (he has four hits in 14 at bats for a .286 average). But whatever offense the Pirates get out of Jaramillo at this point will be a bonus.

His primary job will be to handle a pitching staff that has been exceeding expectations thus far.

He admitted that he was in awe the first time he put on his major league uniform when the Pirates opened in St. Louis April 6. Now, the time for awe is over.

“Overall, I haven’t seen any nerves (from Jaramillo) back there to this point,” Karstens said. “I think he’s pretty comfortable.”

He’s got a good idea, and a good target back there.”

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